Robert Reich wove humor into his speech about the changing world economy

Robert Reich, the former U.S. Secretary of Labor who teaches public policy at the University of California at Berkeley, has a way of making heady issues interesting.

In a discussion yesterday about globalization and the future of manufacturing, he talked about having both of his hips replaced and learning from doctors how they were manufactured.

“I have French designer hips,” he said, demonstrating a bit of a twerk on stage at the Auditorium Theatre, where a few hundred Chicago nonprofit leaders gathered to hear him talk about globalization, technology education and the declining middle class.

The occasion was the 25th anniversary of Polk Bros. Foundation, which sponsored the event. And maybe not coincidentally, it was the 50th anniversary on the War on Poverty, the unofficial name of legislation designed to end the scourge on this country. It was a subject that came up time and again during Mr. Reich's presentation and during a follow-up panel discussion led by Gillian Darlow, the CEO of Polk Bros. Foundation, which funds many of the organizations represented in the audience.

After the three-hour event, Ms. Darlow invited the crowd to come on stage for a small cocktail reception. We all wondered how in the world we could fit and then the curtain slid open to reveal a grand stage set up with high tables and a team of servers.

Mr. Reich, who had spent a long lunch before the event talking to Polk Bros. board members, stayed to schmooze with the crowd, which included Polk board chair Sandra Guthman, Chicago Community Trust CEO Terry Mazany, After School Matters CEO Mary Ellen Caron and McCormick Foundation CEO David Hiller.

Mr. Reich was among the last to depart and made a point of talking to each of the bartenders and catering staff to thank them for their work.